East-metro counties are seeing big increases in absentee voting, underscoring the intense interest in the 2008 election as local elections officials brace for what could be the biggest turnout in decades.

Minnesota’s voter registration rolls are already at an all-time high, and Ramsey County Elections Manager Joe Mansky said absentee voting is up more than 10 percent over the 2004 presidential election; more than 20,000 voters have already weighed in. Washington County officials are predicting a 25 percent increase or more, and elections officials in Dakota County are expecting similar numbers. In Anoka County, officials say absentee voting is up 35 percent over 2004.

Most U.S. states use some method of early voting, from Florida — where voting at select polling places has been under way for days — to Minnesota, which allows in-person and mail-in absentee voting if a voter can’t make it the polls on Election Day.

But Minnesota, which consistently ranks at or near the top in voter turnout nationally with the help of same-day election registrations, is among a minority of states that require an excuse in order to skip the polling place crunch.

That could change by the next election, especially if the presidential race between John McCain and Barack Obama translates into long lines on Election Day.

Last year, Rep. Jeremy Kalin, DFL-North Branch, and others supported unsuccessful legislation that would allow all voters to vote absentee. Under current law, voters can do that only if they have a valid excuse such as a medical condition or if they will be out of their home precinct.

“We’re going to be looking at it again next year,” Kalin said. “I think we need to have a more thorough discussion” about loosening absentee voting rules.

Generally, local elections managers favor any rules that increase voter participation. But absentee voting is costlier and more time-consuming than regular voting.

There are other drawbacks. Voters who don’t fill out their absentee form correctly may see their ballots go uncounted. Furthermore, campaigns can often swing unexpectedly because of, say, a historic meltdown in the world financial markets.

Erik Hanson, an elections judge in North Minneapolis who voted early, said he was in favor of opening up absentee voting to everyone. “But I don’t know how early we should do it because it has an impact on the campaign.”

Supporters like Kalin pointed out that Minnesota allows voters who change their mind to cast a second, superseding ballot on Election Day. One catch though — voters must arrive before local elections officials count their absentee ballot, which by law can begin after the last local mail delivery of the day.

“The best advice is to go early,” said Beth Fraser, director of government affairs for the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.

Early voting might relieve the crunch on Election Day. Hanson cited the 2004 elections, when voters in Ohio waited in lines throughout the day for a chance to cast a ballot.

“That should never, ever happen in the United States,” Hanson said. “I think it’s just the direction that we’re going to head, is to have more opportunity.”

Elections officials cite demographics as one of the likely reasons for the increase in absentee voting. One of the goals of Minnesota’s absentee voter rules is to make sure the elderly vote, and Mansky said he expects the increases to continue as baby boomers age.

“I think we’re going to see this for the next 20 to 25 years,” he said.

But others might be voting early because they’re tired of what has seemed like a never-ending presidential election.

“We do get a few people who come in and say they’re tired of all the political ads on TV … and so when they do get it done, they’re relieved,” Anoka County Elections Supervisor Rachel Smith said.

The increase in absentee voting hasn’t diminished any expectation among elections officials that Tuesday will be a very busy day. Many areas have lined up extra elections judges and printed extra ballots.

“We are printing at 200 percent of our voter registration count,” said Kevin Boyle, Dakota County Property Taxation and Records Manager. “We have been preparing for this election for the last 18 months.”

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